Cal at the Olympics: Johnny Hooper Scores Winning Goal for USA in Water Polo

The United States men’s water polo team will not win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics, but it will finish no worse than sixth after former Cal star Johnny Hooper scored the game-winning goal in a 7-6 loser’s bracket victory over Italy on Friday.

Hooper scored two goals in the game, including an extra-player goal with 1:37 left in the fourth quarter that broke a 6-6 tie. Neither team scored the rest of the way.

The Americans’ final game will be against Croatia, with the winner earning a fifth-place finish in the Olympics. The loser will end up sixth.

Hooper’s first goal came in the second quarter and gave the Americans a 3-2 lead in the low-scoring contest.

Luca Cupido, who was Hooper’s teammate on Cal’s 2016 national championship team, attempted six shots for the USA team, but did not score a goal. It was a hard-luck game for Cupido as four of his six shots hit the post. He also missed a six-meter direct show in a free-throw situation.

It was an interesting matchup for Cupido, who was born in Italy and has dual citizenship in Italy in the United States. It means Cupido could have played for Italy if he wanted, but opted to play for USA.

In the women’s water polo championship game at 11:30 p.m. Friday (Saturday afternoon in Tokyo), former Cal standout Roser Tarrago will play for Spain in the gold-medal match against the United States.

Cover photo of Johnny Hooper by Michael Madrid, USA TODAY Sports

Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by searching: @si.calsportsreport or going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport